Red Lobster — Restaurant in Columbus

I’m from Florida and it was a pleasure visiting this Red Lobster (store #6325)! My family and I were in Columbus, Georgia, celebrating my brother, who is active military and had just graduated from Officer Candidate School. We were a party of 8, along with a few of his classmates.

From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted by a kind gentleman (sadly I didn’t get his name, but he was a brown-skinned Black man with a low fade). He seated us quickly, and soon after we were introduced to our amazing waitress, Amber. She was attentive, kind, and very knowledgeable about the menu.

We arrived during happy hour, so we were able to enjoy great deals on cocktails and appetizers. I was a little sad I couldn’t try the shrimp scampi since it stops being served at 3 p.m., but Amber kindly recommended the shrimp pasta instead—which was delicious—and she even accommodated my request for extra seasoning. My brother ordered the lobster flatbread, and as a group we shared the stuffed mushrooms and crab queso dip, which were both sooo good—perfect for sharing and not a crumb left behind!

The drinks were excellent as well—not too strong and not too light. My mom and brother enjoyed the Long Island iced teas, my dad had the raspberry iced tea, and my fiancé and I had the house margaritas, which were amazing. Even better, Amber was the one who made the drinks!

Living hours away from my brother and family, it meant so much to celebrate this accomplishment together at such a welcoming establishment. The manager, Tywana, also went above and beyond—she checked in on us, congratulated our troops, and even thanked them for their service. The staff surprised them with handwritten thank-you cards and a decorated plate that said “Officer Candidate,” topped with strawberries cut into the shape of a lobster. It was such a sweet, personal touch and made our time together even more memorable.

The restaurant was spotless, and I’d also like to thank the custodial staff—the bathrooms were very well tended. I also appreciated how family-friendly the environment was; I even saw a little one happily walking around with their trusted adult, and no one batted an eye.

One of the highlights of the night was a personal conversation with our amazing waitress, Amber. She shared a bit of her personal testimony with us, and knowing what she has been going through while still showing up to work with such grace and professionalism was truly admirable. People are often quick to complain, so I want to make sure this review reaches the right people, so the 6325 crew members can be recognized and rewarded for their exceptional service.

Lastly, I was able to upload photos to capture the special moments of our evening, which I hope show just how wonderful the service and atmosphere were. The team also conveniently provided us with a QR code printout card to leave a review, which made the process so easy and thoughtful. I would still love to share these photos directly with corporate so they can truly see the outstanding service and hospitality we experienced.

Overall, it was an absolute pleasure dining here—thank you to the entire team at Red...

My Sister and I waited for nearly 15 minutes before we were greeted by a woman that obviously hated her job. She asked us to give her a few minutes and disappear. The place was almost empty but many of the tables had not been cleared from the last guests. Another 10 minutes passed and I called out "Hello". Another server came and apologized and asked for a moment. She looked around....walked around ..then asked if a booth and a half would be OK. I said sure that will be fine. She leads us to a small table in a passage way in the bar area where half the booth had been removed and a chair was sitting along with an extension cord speggittied around the floor and what I think was a vacuum cleaner. She took her foot and pushed the extension cord over to clear the floor path. We sat down, my sister took the chair because I had shoulder replacement the week before and the booth would probably be easier. The greeter/server placed our menu on the table and away she went. This table was so sticky the the menus pealed off the table. I took my finger nail and slid it a bit over the table and the sludge gathered on my nail. This is what happens when a table is wiped down with a soaked bar mop and left to dry on its own... We were not thrilled about much at that point except for the thought of the lobster. My sister and I were looking forward to getting out from being cooped up and having a wonderful meal of a big beautiful Lobster that most of us have enjoyed so many times at Red Lobster. We discussed asking the server to wipe and dry the table and perhaps a place mat when she came back. We waited another 15 minutes. We discussed where we could get good lobster then quietly and respectfully got up and left. We then went to the nearby Bone Fish and had a fantastic late lunch and were greated and treated as valued guest. I hope you can appreciate how hard it was to write this review without interjecting the true aggravation and irritation...

My family and I recently visited Red Lobster this past Sunday with high expectations based on the restaurant being one of our favorites! Unfortunately, our experience this time fell short in several areas.

Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated properly. Our waitress Kiya approached and moved us to a a better seating area as we (a family of 8) were a little too crowded in our original booth. After that, everything went down hill! As our server was indeed very attentive and communicated well with us, the service as of food and management was a disgrace. It took a significant amount of time before we received our drink order from the bar as well as our appetizers which came out literally right before our food and probably was the ONLY thing worth paying for that night. When the food finally arrived, portions were smaller than expected and some dishes were not served at the proper temperature some even missing.

Additionally, there seemed to be a lack of coordination among staff and management. As requested our server brung management over to our table which ended up being very little help. She did accommodate us accordingly but her attitude towards the whole situation was very nonchalant and bothered by it as if we didn’t wait almost an hour for cold food. Being in the restaurant business for over 20 years now I’m understanding with a lot of these inconsistencies but not like this and although the overall attentiveness was great the problem was still unacceptable.

Again, I understand that busy periods can affect service, the issues during this visit went beyond typical delays and reflected a general lack of organization within the restaurant itself. By the end of the night my family and I were tired and very upset yet we did enjoy the service of our waiter the whole night was a fright show that was honestly sad to be apart of. I hope management will address these concerns so future guests can enjoy the quality...